by K. A. Lentz
“Wait, both? You saw something too? What did you see?” She cut in with surprise.
The swordsman laughed again and answered, “I led myself into that question. Yes, after I woke I was forced to face one of my worst enemies until I realized as you had that something was wrong.”
More surprise budding upon her face Thistle exclaimed, “Your worst enemy! Who?!”
A shadow passed over his face as he soberly responded, “A shadow-elf by the name of Zelrahk. He is the first slave of the first reaper Zombie, and a very powerful one at that. We fought long ago at the behest of my master… and I lost. He is very savage and—like his master—was corrupted long ago by the worst shade of evil. He truly relishes the fear he is commanded to spread.”
Thistle suffered a chill down her spine and decided to change the topic, “Pyhe came by yesterday… shortly after you collapsed. He told me very little about the bog-beast… thing, and gave me the single most delicious cupcake I’ve ever had. He also seemed a bit worried about you.”
A half smile lifted Miach’s features as he said, “Doesn’t surprise me that he would know what took place. I’ve no idea how he does it, but that little gnome seems oddly well informed.”
They both fell silent for a time to ponder their own versions of Pyhe’s existence. It didn’t take long for the rabbits to cook on their roasting spit. Deeming them done Miach removed the small meal from the fire and broke the spit in half. Holding it upright like a stick of cotton candy, he held out her portion of the meal with a smile. Thistle took it happily and dug through her backpack to locate her journal. Without a word she handed the book over to Miach as she sat nibbling on hot rabbit. They spent the entire meal quietly flipping through the partially filled book before Miach announced it was time to leave. Thistle gathered up her few, unpacked belongings—including her new jug—and was ready in short order. Without warning, Miach scooped her up and ran off into the surrounding woods; a hearty burp followed by a giggle trailing off into the distance.
Chapter Eight:
Communications with the Dead
Long ago, when the realm was still young, there existed a quaint little village by the name of Forgotten. Nestled in the flats of a long thin valley, its pioneering settlers had unknowingly claimed the gateway to a mountain-pass leading north. During its early days the sleepy hamlet grew in peaceful seclusion, spreading patchworks of farmland to surrounding meadows, yet as the centuries passed they saw an ever increasing flow of merchants seeking trade through the mountains to the north. Rich in resources, the people of Forgotten had plenty to share and readily traded with all who came to their door. It took the townsfolk less than a lifetime to flourish from a quiet village populated by simple wooden homesteads, to a city filled with opulent stone manors and grand edifices bored straight into the mountain-sides. Forgotten’s residents remained a tight-knit community through their brilliant transformation, yet generously shared their overflowing wealth with other communities. This benevolent behavior soon gained attention far and wide, bestowing a loving nickname upon the affluent trading hub; Beacon. This optimistic title of hope ushered in an age of promise the reapers soon came to despise. First to react with irrational ferocity, Zombie set out from his castle alone to seek revenge upon the unsuspecting town.
The day started and progressed as any other in Forgotten. Merchant caravans arrived through the morning, filling the central square with a wide variety of exotic goods, however as dusk began to fall there loomed an ominous cloud blotting out the amber skies above. Nearly crushing the city’s occupants with the weight of his voice, Zombie roared down grievances rendered against him by the innocent townsfolk as they stood frozen and defenseless. After finishing his bold litany of accusations the malicious reaper pronounced their immediate death sentence, carried out this very evening. Unable to move, his victims stood helpless before him as he massacred them all with a single wave of his hand. None survived in the whole of the city to bear witness to Zombie’s senseless slaughter.
The following morning as the first merchant of the day arrived, Forgotten’s ordinarily vibrant gatehouse lay half-open and entirely deserted. The leader of their small company quickly halted his party, asking everyone to remain outside before bravely walking into the foreboding city alone. Apprehensively he pushed the gilded door aside and stepped through the wide portal. The man didn’t make it far. Dotting every street and alleyway were a litter of bodies as far as the eye could see. Screaming the words disease and pestilence he urged his companions to run as he fled back through the open gateway. Without fail each newcomer reacted much the same, none stayed to search for survivors or bury the dead. Overwhelmed by this pall of horror and despair, chained by unseen shackles, Forgotten’s ghostly inhabitants roamed clouded streets searching for their slaughtered loved ones. Eventually the once great city, and its benevolent people, were abandoned to time—yet never forgotten.
In groups of two the party of four had endured the rigors of this accursed city for almost a month. Frustrated and unable to sit still, Tahlan patrolled its inner boarders constantly searching for clues to the whereabouts of his brother’s keeper. Kaiyssa, however, sat rooted in a tree overlooking the town’s central square, mentally bogged down by the weight of unseen souls wandering through perfectly preserved streets. Trying to shut out their deathly voices constantly whispering in her ear, she sang softly to herself while dreading the return of a disembodied cry howling at dusk for his missing child.
Tahlan was rounding into view again when his mate noticed a small child beginning to appear beside an ornate fountain dominating town-square. The young boy’s solidifying form kept its ghostly eyes locked on Tahlan’s every movement as he turned in time with the nimble elf. Conjured like a curse along with the tragic apparition, an icy chill saturated the air around them. Still following along with Tahlan, the little boy abruptly stopped as he turned to face Kaiyssa’s tree. Staring her straight in the eye, he conveyed a city of misery accumulated through thousands of torturous years.
Kaiyssa began to cry. Tears of anguish streamed down her face as she pleaded in a whisper, “Please, little one, I cannot take your stare. I do not mean to offend, yet I must ask… beg you look away.”
The child had also begun to weep. Fat, black droplets issued forth from empty, dark eye-sockets as they cascaded down his front forming a deathly pool at his feet. Still staring her in the eye, the devastated phantom loosed a heart-wrenching wail moments before disappearing beneath the pool’s viscous surface. Exiting on his wake, the slick seeped into the ground taking with it the deathly chill gripping Kaiyssa’s heart. She cried alone for only a moment before her tears found a home upon the comforting shoulder of Tahlan’s loving embrace.
Tiring of the city scarcely a day after arriving, Tahlan hated the effect it had on both of them. Holding Kaiyssa as she wept in his arms, his mind churned over thoughts of moving on. His beloved suffered through every watch and he alone had the power to end it. Leaning back to look her in the eye, he proclaimed, “We’re leaving; I’ll no longer remain here waiting for a monster.”
Gazing down into her beautiful eyes, he waited as her mind took stock of what he had said. She didn’t keep him waiting. With an eyebrow raised she replied in a faint voice, “Tah my love, I fear leaving and missing him however I also fear… you are right. Staying here isn’t getting us what we need… not to mention the possibility exists that we already missed him.”
Sighing as he gently tucked her head under his chin, Tahlan stroked her hair and whispered, “I know we can’t stay here any longer, yet I have no thoughts on where to go next.” Pausing, he pulled out the map Aginaeus had copied for them and gave it another once-over. Continuing on with his train of thought he mused, “There are few locations recorded here where he could find shelter, nor many places to stop and hide along the way. Gold Island is our best bet, but I fear he may pass us by while we look in the wrong direction; that is what happened when last I tracked him to that location.”
; Adjusting herself on his lap, Kaiyssa pondered aloud, “Do you remember the shrines we were educated about as elflings? I remember learning of one roughly half a day’s journey from here. We could go see if it still exists and maybe talk to a wisdom enclave; they may have witnessed Lesdaeonna’s slave pass through the realms. Besides, it would seem we have the prefect source for grave earth. However… I am uncertain if the unnatural state of these bodies will block the transference of death we seek to achieve. I smelled a kill in the woods along the way this morning; we can pick some up from that site.”
Tahlan hadn’t remembered the many shrines dotting the realm. Established by allied races as a means of communication during the first war, each shrine’s unique magical focus allowed for the easy transference of an elvish soul into the land of the dead. Trying to hamper their enemy’s cause, the accosted reapers employed deadly traps to guard the shrines and dissuade their use over time. The elves once sought to rid each of their guardian, vanquishing many through the years, but the reapers summoned new ones in their place. Eventually all were abandoned. Tahlan’s mind conjured images of traps known to his generation; could one of those horrific beings be lurking around this shrine? Voicing her own ideas, Kaiyssa spoke plainly, “I have no knowledge of what awaits us my love, yet I do remember where we can find it… if we dare chose that path.”
Tahlan didn’t like the idea at all. The trap could be something they couldn’t handle, yet, as much as he hated to brave such unknown hazards, he knew Kaiyssa was right. Traveling to a wisdom enclave, on foot, would take much needed time away from their quest. Understanding the nature of his doubts, Kaiyssa sought to put an end to his worrisome path as she interjected, “We shall call Megoth and scout it out before we land. I am confident he will assist us. I would also like to travel to the inn and talk this over with Aginaeus and Dominus. I am sure they would join us too.”
“Let us journey back to the inn. We can travel to the shrine through the night however I would prefer the sun’s assistance with whatever we face.” Tahlan offered as he kissed the top of her head.
Kaiyssa nodded her agreement before lithely slipping from the tree beside her mate. Less than an hour later both elves trotted into the nearby town of Echo. Due to its close proximity to Forgotten, the small village saw many hurried travelers unwilling to stay for more than a night. Dreary in appearance, the village looked more forgotten than Forgotten. Like its ghostly neighbor, low-lying fogs constantly pooled in the hollows around town, giving it a tenebrous atmosphere. Mud paved streets ran like rivers through banks of simple wooden shacks clustered around an old, dilapidated farmhouse. Passersby would have a hard time understanding why any bothered to stay at all, but the elves had long ago learned why.
Echo had begun its days as one of Forgotten’s outlying farmsteads, feeding the city with a bounty of crops. Hardworking relatives of two powerful families residing within the nearby metropolis, the young couple that had lived there was well known by locals for their opulent farmhouse and influential kin. Graced with two young girls, ages six and eight, the family was happy to peacefully tend farm fields and raise livestock together year after year. One evening, nearing quitting time, the couple was working side by side in a lettuce field when they were stunned to look up and see a malicious individual standing with a daughter gripped in each hand. Closing the gap between him and the courageously advancing couple, Zombie boomed his first curse of the day and forced both parents to their knees. Transforming before their eyes, the helpless couple watched on as their two young daughters shriveled into aged crones. Laughing at his own cruelty, the malevolent reaper warned each adult to henceforth never leave this place or witness the last shreds of life drain from their children. In a flash he was gone. Both daughters immediately started hobbling toward their paralyzed parents when suddenly the girls froze in their tracks, desperately covering their ears. Their mother and father, free of Zombie’s hold, rushed to each child’s side. Looking at one another with horrified tears streaming down their faces, both parents stood helpless as their girls began to scream and wail while clinging to one another. Without warning the accursed daughters spoke in unison, a strange and deathly voice replacing their own, as Zombie’s accusations and proclamation were delivered to the people of Forgotten.
The family never left the farm again. Their children cursed and their fields smothered by constant fog, they were forced to subsist on the grace of others seeking trade over the mountains. Barely a year later a small party of elves arrived seeking to learn what Zombie had done, spurred on by rumors of two young crones telling the tale of Forgotten’s destruction. Try as they may, not a one could lift the wicked enchantment deeply rooted within each child, yet with every failed attempt the healers dug deeper to a more sinister element of their curse; immortality. By Zombie’s design both victims were destined to endure through the ages as decrepit old crones, yet trapped within the minds of adolescents. The elves were overcome by anguish for the injured family and sought to ease their burden. Securing the aid of merchant caravans ready to lend their assistance, the fellowship of elves transformed the family’s grand farmhouse into a small town equipped to accommodate a modest flow of travelers. Rebuilt many times over, surviving countless trials life threw at them, Echo endured through the ages to present day.
Entering the Boar’s Head tavern Tahlan and Kaiyssa spotted Dominus slumped in a corner booth, fiddling with his tankard. Being a man of large dimensions, he appeared squeezed into the normally spacious seat cupping the thick wooden table before him. Kaiyssa and Tahlan smelled the smoky fire smoldering at the far end of the long hall and eyed it warily as they joined Dominus in his booth.
“Oh good… u’re back. I’m shick of waiting.” His alert, but slurred speech gave the impression he had been waiting a while and drinking most of that time. Looking back and forth between the pair, the giant warrior leaned heavy on his elbow and continued in a thoroughly bored tone, “Aggie went oft to tha next town… findin out if they ’eard anythin of late. Ya know… shtrange visitors ’n like.”
Dominus abruptly fell silent before downing a large swig of ale. Using his bare arm, the warrior whipped a rivulet of brew dripping down his chin before blurting, “She said wait, tell ya, ’n join her in tha next town over… umm… yea thas it. Okay so I’m leavin.” Without warning he forced his beer into Tahlan’s hand and said with a smile, “Enjoy, my brother, I’m leavin… wait said that… still true. See ya.”
Tahlan hastily deposited the tankard on the table and jumped up to grab Dominus’s shoulder, gaining his attention once more. With a quick tongue the elf gave reason to his unspoken request, “Wait, We have need of your help Dominus. Do you possess any knowledge regarding elvish shrines?”
Dominus swayed on the spot as he looked at Tahlan with a mixture of skepticism and child-like curiosity. Kaiyssa watched from the sidelines, an eyebrow raised, as she sent Tahlan images regarding the usefulness of an inebriated human. Tahlan simply stood staring at the warrior, waiting for an answer.
“Okay wait, those rn’t myth? I heard ya go all dead… talk to other dead people, on… gravies… err… graves. Are ya going ta one?” The warrior’s features were overcome by an expression of sluggish excitement. “Oh I’m in, when da we leave? Can you talk withe humens too? Aggie’ll be upset, but she’ll forgive me. Do you hav… have ta be an elf?”
Tahlan eyed Dominus with a stern set as he asked, “Are you certain you are sober enough, Sir? I will not…”
“Punch me,” Dominus demanded.
Tahlan’s expression conveyed his confusion, “What? Why would I punch… ?”
“Please, punch me, it’ll help. I’ll shober on the way. Ya know, en route.” Dominus replied as he readied for his sobering blow.
Giving the swordsman a deeply skeptical glare Tahlan spoke with clear displeasure, “There has got to be a better way to sober you up than resorting to violence…”
A smug expression formed on Dominus’s drunken face as he interrupted Tahlan onc
e more, “I’ll jush keep insistin ’til you do or I’m ss…”
The whole bar turned and looked in anger at the offending patron causing a stir in their habituated lives. With unassuming strength Tahlan had given the warrior a searing right hook to his brawny jaw. Dominus laughed and rubbed his chin as he stated with obvious respect, “That was a fairly shoberin punch elf, thanks Tah.”
Tahlan stared hard with an air of impatience. Kaiyssa simply relaxed in the booth and observed how Dominus turned into a comical, wide-eyed boy when he had had too much to drink. Responding with clearer speech, Dominus furrowed his brow and asked, “What’d ya need me for anyway? You don’t need me ta help enter the land of the dead… do ya?”
Patting the suddenly apprehensive warrior on the shoulder Tahlan replied, “No my friend, we need help with a reaper trap protecting the shrine, and then to guard us while we are away in the otherlands. Kaiyssa will call Megoth back to aid us as well.”
Looking extremely relieved, Dominus sighed and then inquired with a smile, “Well okay then, when da we leaf?”
Deciding to hunt and eat after they spoke to the elders of Japake, Tahlan breathed in a shallow breath and said on exhale, “How about now?”
Kaiyssa jumped up beside her mate and stated in an energized voice, “Alright let’s go.”
Tahlan turned to Kaiyssa, a stern expression dominating his features, and pronounced, “Come to think of it my love, with Dominus and Megoth to help… you needn’t put yourself in danger. Remain in Echo and wait for Aginaeus. We will be back as soon as…”
Shaking her head the whole time, Kaiyssa interrupted Tahlan with a tone that warned its listener to tread carefully, “You will not leave me behind again. I WILL follow you… and if you insist on this foolish attempt to save me… I’ll sing you into submission! We have been to war together, have you forgotten? I know I am no… warrior such as you or Dominus however trust me when I say… I’ve not been sitting at home for the last eight hundred years simply waiting for your return.”